Contact lens packaging

Abstract

Disclosed is a stack of individually separable packages for a plurality of contact lenses, each individual lens being packaged between a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is provided by a first one of the individually separable packages and the second surface is provided by a second one of the individually separable packages.

The invention claimed is:  
     
       1. A stack of individually separable packages for a plurality of contact lenses, each individual lens being packaged between a first surface and a second surface,
 wherein the first surface is provided by a first one of the individually separable packages and the second surface is provided by a second one of the individually separable packages, 
 wherein each package comprises: a concave cup-shaped portion which accommodates a contact lens and an aqueous liquid; and a peripheral portion; the packages being stacked such that the concave cup-shaped portion of one package is partially accommodated within the concave cup-shaped portion of an adjacent package, thereby reducing dead volume in the stack, 
 wherein adjacent members of the stack are sealed to one another by a mechanical sealing fit, and 
 wherein the packages comprise a frangible portion which is broken or ruptured if adjacent packages are separated, such that a tamper-evident seal is provided. 
 
     
     
       2. A stack according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of packages is essentially identical. 
     
     
       3. A stack according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of left-handed packages and a plurality of right-handed packages, the handedness optionally being conferred by the shape or position of a projecting flange portion. 
     
     
       4. A stack according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral portion comprises a thin protruding flange portion, which projects outwardly and provides a surface to which a consumer may apply a suitable force to separate an individual package from the stack. 
     
     
       5. A stack according to  claim 1 , in combination with a holder, said holder having a flat base portion and at least one upright member which defines a channel or groove which accommodates the stack. 
     
     
       6. A stack and holder combination according to  claim 5 , wherein the upright member and flat base portion are integrally formed from a synthetic plastics material. 
     
     
       7. A stack and holder combination according to  claim 5 , wherein the channel or groove accommodates two stacks of contact lens packages, side-by-side. 
     
     
       8. A stack and holder combination according to  claim 5 , wherein the holder comprises dispensing means, actuation of which serves to separate an individual contact lens package from the stack. 
     
     
       9. A stack and holder combination according to any one of  claim 5 , wherein the holder comprises biasing means which tends to urge the stack out of the holder, and restraining means which resists the biasing means. 
     
     
       10. A method of making a stack of a plurality of individually separable contact lens packages, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a plurality of empty individual contact lens packages, each package comprising a concave cup-shaped portion which accommodates a contact lens; 
 (b) inserting a contact lens and an aliquot of suitable aqueous liquid in a cavity in the concave cup-shaped portion of a first package; and 
 (c) sealing the contact lens and aqueous liquid in the cavity by positioning a second package on top of the first package, such that the concave cup-shaped portion of the second package is partially accommodated within the concave cup-shaped portion of the first package, and sealing the second package to the first, 
 wherein adjacent members of the stack are sealed to one another by a mechanical sealing fit, and 
 wherein the packages comprise a frangible portion which is broken or ruptured if adjacent packages are separated, such that a tamper-evident seal is provided. 
 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 10 , in which steps (b) and (c) are repeated a plurality of times to build up the stack of packages. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of sterilising the packages by autoclaving. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the stack of packages is sterilised during stack formation by UV irradiation.